HICKS Lab
Lab Members
meet the lab
Principal Investigator
Kevin G. Hicks, PhD
Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology
Molecular Medicine Program
University of Utah College of Health
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Marissa Trujillo, PhD
Marissa grew up in Colorado Springs, CO, where she also attended UCCS for her undergraduate education. She graduated with a BS in Biochemistry in 2019 and worked in the lab of Dr. Allen Schoffstall, synthesizing novel triazole compounds. She then moved to Arizona, where she earned her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2024 from the University of Arizona. Her graduate work was done in the lab of Dr. James Galligan, where she investigated the generation of non-enzymatic post-translational modifications, and their impact on cellular metabolism.
In her free time, Marissa enjoys running, baking sourdough bread, attending concerts, and spending time with her husband and cats.
Graduate Students
Lindsay Mortensen
Lindsay is from Clearfield, Utah and she received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Utah. After graduating in 2019, she worked as a lab technician at the Mutation Generation and Detection Core at the University of Utah. In 2022, she moved to Virginia to work with Dr. Melissa Kendall at the University of Virginia where she investigated the role of RNA binding proteins in enterohemorrhagic E. coli virulence gene expression regulation.
She joined the Hicks lab in May 2025 from the Molecular Biology Bioscience graduate program.
Outside of the lab, Lindsay enjoys yoga, podcasts, and trying new coffee roasters.
Laboratory Technicians
Shane McCann
Shane is from Eagle, Colorado. He attended the University of Colorado Boulder where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Cameron Lab. Outside of the lab, Shane enjoys hiking, skiing, mushroom foraging, learning about geography, and traveling.
Jack Dalluge
Jack grew up in Waverly, Minnesota, and obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry at Carleton College in 2020. After completing a Master’s Degree in Education and a year as a public school science teacher, he worked as a laboratory technician in the lab of Wes Sundquist at the University of Utah for two years before transferring to the Hicks Lab. Jack’s interests outside of science include listening to and making music, skiing, and sim racing.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Nathan Suitor
Nathan grew up in Coalville, Utah and Cottonwood Heights, Utah. He is currently an undergraduate student studying biochemistry and working as a MA/Surgical Technician for the University of Utah. In his free time, you can find him climbing, hiking, camping, or drinking tea.
Join the lab!
Are you an undergrad looking for a lab that specializes in metabolism?
Click here to inquire about joining Hicks lab now!
University of Utah 2024